


You Are The Father

by sunshineandpeterparker



Series: Someone find this boy a father [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Platonic Cuddling, Probably a lot of medical inaccuracies, Sick Peter Parker, Sickfic, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-01-05 08:13:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18362087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshineandpeterparker/pseuds/sunshineandpeterparker
Summary: Sequel to my story You Are Not The Father.In which Tony undeniably becomes Peters dad while taking care of him while he's sick.





	1. Chapter 1

Ever since they had found Peter, he’d had a constant fever of 102.2 and looking on the bright side, it hadn't gone up. On the downside, it hadn't gone down either.

 

Unfortunately, a few hours after Peter had woken up, his fever had gone up to 102.4. Not a huge change, but it was a bit discouraging. May and Tony had asked if the reason why was known, and Dr. Cho told them that she would take a blood test. After that, they continue to sit by a resting Peter’s side.

 

Peter woke up eventually, and he woke up hungry, which was good because Dr. Cho had asked them to get Peter to eat.

 

They gave him some chicken noodle, that woke him up enough to allow him to take a shower.

He was fairly weak after not moving for a few days, and from being as sick as he was so he had to sit in a little chair they had placed in the shower. Peter probably would have been embarrassed had he not been so happy to just be moving again.

 

Afterward, Tony had helped him into some comfortable clothes and tucked him into the bed. May had gone to get her and Tony some food, when she came back she found Peter had fallen asleep to Tony drying his hair with a towel. She couldn't help her smile.

 

Peter continued to receive antibiotics, but none of them seemed to be helping. Soon enough his fever was up to 102.8 and it was drawing some concern. 

 

Eventually, Dr. Cho was able to let them know that the drug left behind a virus in his system that is still attacking his immune system, but to a much lesser extent. 

 

“So why hasn't his fever been going up this whole time,” May asked.

 

“Well it seems the virus has been fighting the whole time, and while we were able to boost his immune system, it is still attacking it, so, it's trying to keep up with the virus” Dr. Cho explained.

 

“So what can we do?” Tony sounded tired. Medical stuff wasn't really his field of work. Taking care of people wasn't either. 

 

Dr. Cho’s face turned sympathetic. “We can keep giving him the antibiotics, but, its gonna get worse before it gets better.”

 

“Can't we put him in the immune thing again” Tony suggested.

 

Dr. Cho shook her head. “the capsule is for intensive treatment only and putting him into it now would put his immune system in a state of shock.”

 

“Okay well, thank you so much, Dr. Cho,” May said.

 

Dr. Cho smiled. “Of course, let me know if you have any questions”

 

May smiled back “We will”

 

…

 

It wasn't long after that when Peter woke up in discomfort.  His fever was up to 103.

 

“Hey, sleepyhead” May greeted as Peter woke up.

 

Peter shifted in his bed. “Mmm, May?”

 

“That's me” she answered.

 

“S’ hot,” Peter said, weakly attempting to push his covers off.

 

“I know honey, your fever is rising” May explained.

 

Peter coughed a few time before continuing. “Not nice” 

 

May had to hold back her giggle.“No, it's not”

 

Peters face contoured to confusion.“Wheres-”

 

May completed his thought “Tony?” 

 

Peter gave a slight nod.“Mhm” 

 

“He’s just getting some rest, and don't worry, he isn't alone. Pepper is with him” May told him, sparing the details of her memories. It took maybe an hour to coax Tony into going to his room to get some rest. Tony had insisted that he stay with Peter as if he wasn't falling asleep during the argument. At some point, Tony agreed that he and May would switch off, but he was still unhappy as he left the room with Pepper.

 

“*cough* *cough* Tha’s good,” Peter said.

 

“Here, let put a light blanket on you, in case you get cold” May offered aware of how unpredictable fevers could be.

 

“M’kay” Peter curled into the blanket as May put it over him.

 

“Are you hungry at all?” May asked. Peter shook his head. “not even a little?” May pushed a bit further.

 

Peter shook his head again, a cough following. ‘ _ That's not good’  _ May thought

 

She’d talk about it with Dr. Cho later. For now, she just wanted to spend time with Peter.

 

“Do you wanna watch something?” She suggested. She always uses television to put Peter to sleep. Even on a good day, I can knock Peter out.

 

“You c’n pick this time,” Peter told her.

 

“Alright,” May said smiling” “ thank you, Peter,” She leaned down and kissed his head.

 

May ended up picking The Office not only because she liked it but because she knew Peter did too. As the episode started, Peter had tugged on her hand, as to tell her to move closer. After she scooted closer a few times Peter let go of her hand and tapped the bed instead, being more direct, asking her to get on as he scooted to the other side of the bed.

 

May gave an amused huff of air and slipped her shoes off to sit on his bed with him. Peter settled at her side as she put an arm around him. He barely made it through the first episode without falling asleep and he seemed to have fallen asleep as soon as the episode ended.

May turned the volume down, lightly massaging Peters back. 

 

As Peter fell asleep, he started to feel just a tad guilty. He wouldn't trade the moment he was having with aunt May for anything. He loved her so much and he had missed her so badly too. He just couldn't deny the fact that he had wanted Tony to be there too.

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahahahha, so Avengers: Endgame is going to be ignored by me, I'm in a significant state of denial at the moment. Anyway, enjoy this chapter!!!

Peter was warm, no warm was an understatement, he was burning up.

 

He thought his fever had gone down, at least that's what it had felt like. Of course, he had still been warm, but now, he felt hotter than he did when he was with Ryan. 

 

“Peter?” May asked when she felt peter stir in her arms.

 

“Mmm, hi May” Peter heard the door open but was too tired to figure out who it was. “S’ really hot,” 

 

May frowned, “I know sweetheart, we are working on it,”

 

“We are working on it indeed,” Tony said. The familiar voice caused Peter to force his eyes open. Peter grinned.

 

“Hi Mr.Tony,” Peter greeted lazily.

 

Tony huffed out a laugh, “Hey kiddo, feelin' a bit warm are we?”

 

“Mhm,” Peter answered.

 

“Well it’s definitely going up, but my main concern is getting some food into that stomach of yours,” 

 

Peter shook his head.

 

“You have to honey, you’ve gone too long without it,” May tried.

 

“Feel nauseous” Peter argued.

 

Tony sighed, he’ll talk to Cho about it later, he thought.

 

Tony and May had a silent interaction. The two agreed that it was time for May to go take care of herself, and Tony to take care of Peter.

 

“That’s alright kid, we’ll take care of it later. Right now though, your Aunt here is going to go take care of herself for a bit,”

 

Peter looked up at May, hesitating for a second or two before nodding his head. “M’kay, are you gonna stay Mr. Tony?”

 

Tony smiled “Absolutely,” 

 

May gently lifted Peter up and laid him back down on his pillows. “I’ll be back,” May said, giving Peter a kiss in the forehead before leaving.

 

Peter nodded his head and fell asleep, his hand in Tony’s, not long after that. Tony had honestly missed Peter when he had been away from him. It must’ve been a few hours at most, but Tony couldn’t help but feel like he needed to be at Peter’s side every second of the day. He wanted to be there to comfort him and take care of him. The more Tony thought about it the weirder it was to him.

 

How did he end up getting so attached to this kid? He always seemed to have some sort of facade for a reason, so that he didn’t get close to people like this. But Peter, Peter was special, he was different, he was so genuine. It was almost unbearable for Tony some times. He was so used to people stabbing his back, he had prepared himself for Peter to do the same, but he never did. It makes Tony’s heart explode of emotions he wasn't used to. 

 

Once, Peter, an Tony had been in the lab working, and Tony had been a bit off due to a meeting about the accords. Somehow, they had gotten on the topic of trust. Peter had told him that he trusted him with his life and that Peter could never see him self betraying a man who has done so much for him. The comment had given Tony such an odd feeling, one of, fondness? 

 

Usually, Tony would roll his eyes and think to himself that it wasn’t true. That Peter would turn his back on him on of these days, but this was different. Peter had said it so genuinely, his voice full of honesty and trust. Peter had made direct eye contact with Tony when he had finished saying it and Tony saw nothing but the truth. 

 

Peter was a good kid, Tony had always known that, but that day, Peter had broken down a wall that very few people have been able to get through. Since that day Tony knew he would do anything for this kid. Anything at all. So when Peter had gotten taken, he couldn’t help but feel like he had failed Peter big time.

 

There wasn't anything in the world he wouldn't do for Peter, which is why he is now stuck between two decisions. Going to find the guy that took his kid, or respecting that Peter didn’t want him to go after the guy at all. 

 

To Tony, and literally anyone with a brain, it seemed so far from right to just let it be. He understood why Peter was scared, he didn't want to risk what he thought he had already lost. 

As Tony looked over Peter in his sleep, he can't get the picture out of his head of when he found Peter. 

 

He looked one foot in the grave, all cause his kidnapper basically left him for dead. Now Peter wasn’t doing all too great now either. His fever has yet to go down, and now he won’t eat cause he feels nauseous. Peter was hanging on a few strings here, they had to get him back on his feet as soon as possible. 

 

So, as Tony calmed Peter down from a nightmare, and Peter clung on to him for dear life, sobbing, Tony decided he couldn't live with himself if he let the guys go free. But now he was preoccupied with trying to calm Peter’s breathing before he passed out.

 

“Hey, buddy it’s okay, you’re okay,” Tony was hugging and rubbing circles on Peter’s back. 

Peter was hyperventilating and shaking his head.

 

“You wanna tell me what's wrong? I really wanna help buddy,” In all honesty, Tony was a bit panicked himself at this point, this whole thing was sorta out of his arena.

 

Peter’s tears continued to fall, and Tony’s heart broke a little with every tear he wiped off Peter’s face, and with every cough that interrupted his crying.

 

“Y-you you were - and then he- and-” Peter failed to complete the sentence as he sobbed even harder, grasping Tony’s shirt as tight as he could. 

 

“Pete, I really need you to breathe for me,” Tony started running one of his hand through Peter’s hair, and that seemed to help at least a little, but he could tell Peter was close to passing out at this point and it was making Tony nervous. “Peter, please,” 

 

It took about ten minutes but Tony finally got Peter to take some deep breaths and tell him what was wrong.

 

“You-you were there, a-at that house, and I was still- and he had you -trapped and then- and then he-” Peter started crying again, but Tony didn't need to hear anymore. He knew what happened next, he had died. Just like Peter had thought he had before.

 

“Oh, kid, it’s okay, I’m here, see? I’m alive, right here with you. Just breathe with me,“ Peter finally started to calm down, sagging in exhaustion.

 

“What if he comes b-back for me?” Peter asked quietly “what if he hurts you to do it?”

 

“Even if he does Peter, I won't let him take you, ever again” Tony and Peter sat in comfortable silence for a few moments after that, waiting for Peter’s breathing to fully even out.

 

“Peter, why don’t you trying and get some more rest,” Tony suggested.

 

Peter shook his head, despite the fact that the kid was already half asleep.

 

Tony frowned. “Why not kiddo? You look tired,”

 

“d’nt wanna h’ve ano’er n’tmare,” Peter was slurring his words so bad Tony thought he might be talking in his sleep.

 

“Okay then, you wanna watch something?”

 

Peter nodded, and Tony held back a laugh because he knew Peter would last five minutes into the movie.

 

Tony moved to sit on the bed to lay Peter down on his pillows, but when he tried to separate himself from Peter, Peter wouldn't let go of his shirt. It only took him a few seconds to understand that Peter wasn't going to back down. So he adjusted them so that they were both comfortable and Tony turned the tv on. There was already a paused episode of the office, so Tony just pressed the play button and brought his attention right back to Peter. Noticing that Peter was basically asleep, he turned the noise down to it’s the lowest volume and ran his hand through Peter’s hair. Tony had eventually fallen asleep too, finally being able to be with his kid, he felt at peace. He had been having a few nightmares of his own.

 

The next time Peter woke up, Tony found that sometimes it not so bad to be a light sleeper.

  
  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peters fever is high and so is Peter's need for his father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, on another note I made Peter cry again which at this point goes against everything I stand for with marvel making Peter cry every two seconds, sorryyyyy

Tony woke to Peter trying and failing to sit up and Tony realized within seconds from the kids pale green face, that he was gonna throw up.

 

Tony woke up quickly enough to grab the little trash can by the side of Peter's bed. It was mostly just bile and dry heaving since Peter hadn't really been eating as he should be. By the end of it, Peter sagged down onto Tony's chest exhausted. 

 

Tony moved Peters hair out of his face and felt his forehead and sighed “you're getting warmer buddy”

 

“Mmm” Peter pressed his face further into Tony's chest.

 

Tony grinned. “I guess you could already tell”

 

“Hmm” Was all Peter responded with.

 

“Not much for talking right now makes sense,” Tony pressed on the little call button at peters bedside to call Dr. Cho in. They really needed to get Peter's fever down.

 

Tony frowned as he waited noticing the subtle yet concerning rasp in Peter's soft breaths. Tony rubbed a soothing hand in Peter's back to comfort him. He knew Peter was in pain and uncomfortable, he felt awful for him. But the kid was a trooper. Tony loved this kid, he knew that much, but it confused him, admittedly. He couldn't ever see himself saying it to the kids face. That stuff made him feel so vulnerable, but for once, that wasn't why he wouldn't. He was afraid Peter wouldn't feel the same. Of course Peter looked up to him, Peter may love him for iron man, but did he  _ love _ him? Tony wasn't sure if that made any sense.

 

The thing was, he didn't mind the vulnerability around Peter. He felt oddly safe around the kid all the time. Peter never posted a threat. The kid could easily be one too, but Peter was loyal, honest. Just all around amazing. Much better than Tony could even imagine himself to be. It made him wonder why Peter even looked up to him to begin with. Peter always saw the good in Tony, always, never saw him as his mistakes. Perhaps that was just something Tony wasn't used to.

 

A few minutes later, Cho came in with her team with some bags and small machines.

 

“We need to get his temperature down, now," Dr.Cho said urgent.

 

Tony huffed out a humorless laugh "Yeah, I figured," The medical team took out some blankets and hooked them up to a machine with some thin long wires. 

 

Tony raised an eyebrow, giving Helen a very confused stare. "Wouldn't a blanket make him warmer?" 

 

"They are cooling blankets made to look and feel like regular ones to decrease the negative reaction from patients." Dr. Cho explained.

 

Her and her team were about to OU the blanket in when they realized they couldn't have Tony on the bed. Helen's face turned apologetic. "Um, unfortunately I can't have you on the bed with him, it's not safe for someone without a fever to be in contact with these blankets for that amount of time," 

 

Tony tried to hide his disappointment. He was very comfortable with the kid. "Alright, buddy, I'm gonna need to get of the bed,"

 

The sentence seemed to give Peter an impressive amount of energy considering how out of it he was. "Mmm, no, s'ay"

 

"I'm sorry Pete, doc says I gotta have to get off," Tony tried to move off the bed but Peter was grabbing his shirt like a lifeline, and had snaked his leg around Tony's. "Pete, you gotta let go, I'm gonna stay here, just not in the bed, I'll be right next to you buddy"

 

"I can't," Peter slurred.

 

"Why not?" Tony asked gently his hand on Peter's cheek.

 

"He's gonna get you, he gonna take you 'way from me, I h've to keep you" Peter said right before needing to cough.

 

"Oh kiddo, I'm gonna be fine I promise you, I'd stay with you if I could I really would but we need to lower that fever," Tony said attempting to move out of the way once more.

 

"No, no please" Peter rasped before his lungs forced him into a coughing fit.

 

Tony's heart ached. "I'm so sorry Peter, but I'll still be here right next to you" 

 

"Need t' keep you s'fe" Peter was getting very agitated. He need Tony to stay, he need Tony to understand.

 

"Not right now, your off duty spider-baby, you need to get better" Tony kept trying to get up.

 

"Mmm, no, dad please" Peter started tearing up "dad please I- I need you here" 

 

Tony froze. Is he hallucinating? No, he said it. Twice. He looked at Cho desperately. She gave him a look of sorrow, saying 'we don't have a choice.'

 

Tony held his own tears back. He untangled himself from Peter as Peter kept trying to grab onto him once more. It broke Tony's heart to pieces. 

 

Peter was now full on crying, and coughing and  arguably more distraught than when he had had the nightmare. Tony knew he didn't have a choice. He knew Peter was only acting this way because the fever had him so out of his mind he probably wouldn't even know the difference between a pear and an apple at this point, but it still  _ hurt _ .

 

It wasn't just any type of hurt. It cut deep, like, like he was hurting his...his child… but not that couldn't be, Peter isn't his- but- well- perhaps, he may as well be, he thought, he wasn't sure.

 

Another heart wrenching  Peter begging Tony to stay and May ran through the door. "What happened?" 

 

"He's in distress due to Tony needing to get off the bed in order for us to get Peter temperature down" Helen explained.

 

Peter cried out once more not realizing May had even walked in. "Dad, dad please, stay with me, I can't - I can't let him take you,  _ please _ " 

 

Tony saw no outward reaction to Peter calling Tony dad, and Tony could help but find it off. She wasn't confused, or weirded out or anything. I mean, she had mentioned the idea before, but he would have thought she'd have some sort of reaction.

 

"Well why can he stay?" May asked.

 

"It's not safe for Tony to be in contact with the cooling device" Helen said as they started to put the blanket on, as well as a cooling pad on Peter's forehead.Peter didn't take too much of a liking to it, and tried to push the blankets off while shaking his head to get the cooling pad off.

 

May walked over to Peter's side and put a hand on his cheek making him look at her. "Peter, you need to calm down, we are gonna be right here, nobody's gonna leave you, sweetheart," 

 

Somehow Peter cried harder. "May, I, I- can't lose you guys, please, I can't let him hurt you"  Peter grabbed onto Mays sleeve wanting to hold her to make sure nothing ever happens to her. She won't let him, why won't any let him protect them, don't that know they are in  _ danger?. _

 

May sighed and picked the cooling pad and put it gently on Peter forehead, she saw had Tony started to fix the blanket as well. "Peter, you can't do anything for us if you are one foot in the grave, let us get your fever down, we are gonna be right here with you, we won't leave, you don't need to worry about us right now, please baby, let us help you," 

 

Peter seemed to pause just for a moment before deflating, silent tears still rolling down his cheeks. His coughs dying out to be quieter and less aggressive.

 

"There we go honey, why don't you get some rest for us okay?" May wiped the tears off Peter's cheeks as his eyes drooped, tired out from his outburst. 

 

Most of Helen's team stated to pack up to leave but Helen was taking something out. "His oxygen levels are down, nothing to worry about, we are just gonna give him a nasal cannula just to help him out, take some strain off his lungs, he's been coughing an awful lot,"

 

Tony and may nodded their heads in understanding. Dr.cho hooked the cannula up to the machine and when she tried to put it on Peter woke back up just enough to try and stop her.

 

May put her hand in Peter curls to reassure him "It's okay, Peter, it's gonna help you,"

 

And with that Peter fell asleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like it, it's a bit short but it's the end of the school year, but summer coming and I plan on writing a bunch then so, yay!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are much appreciated :) 
> 
> my Tumblr is @sunshineandpeterparker


End file.
